Dallas Mavs' Maxi Kleber Primed for Bounce-Back Season?
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Coming off a season that was riddled with injuries, a now fully-healthy Maxi Kleber is prioritizing his health and hoping for better fortune in that department this time around.
Now an "elder statesman" with the team, and approaching 32 years of age, Kleber is eager to once again take on a mentorship role off the court while also being a valuable piece to the team's success on it.
"Obviously I want to make sure I'm physically healthy," Kleber said when asked about his goals for the 2023-24 season. "It's very frustrating when you can't be out there with the team and help. ... [I want to] be the best version [of myself]."
Maxi Kleber hopes to be a veteran presence on this season's Mavs team.
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Kleber played a career-low 37 games with the Mavericks last season after suffering a torn hamstring that required surgery and sidelined him for more than two months. Furthermore, in the time he did spend on the court, he didn't contribute as much as he has in past seasons, averaging his lowest points (5.9) and rebounds (3.6) per game since his rookie season.
Although Kleber comes into this season looking to improve his own play, he's also trying to be a strong mentor for 19-year-old big man Dereck Lively II. The rookie has shown promise in training camp, and many believe he could be the Mavs center of the future once he gets some NBA experience under his belt.
"He has great instinct and already good positioning [down low] and understands it," Kleber said. "Obviously he has the length and athleticism to be very effective in those two [areas]."
Given the Mavs' offseason additions on Livley and Richaun Holmes, Kleber should be able to stick to strictly playing at the four spot this season without having to occasionally fill in as a stretch-five. However, the NBA season is a long one, and depending on what happens injury-wise, Kleber might have to play out of position if the Mavs are in a pinch.
After playing a career-high 74 games during the 2019-20 season, Kleber hasn't cracked the 60-game mark since. He's hoping to change that this coming season, though.
